Too Late, Mr. Cooper: Your Bride Ran with Your Baby novel Chapter 326

At the sound of the familiar, cool voice, a flicker of light seemed to return to Liliana’s empty eyes.

She didn't answer him.

Linton wasn't discouraged. He walked over to her and patiently knelt down, his large, bony hand trembling as he reached out to gently take her small, cool one.

“Liliana...” he called her name again, his voice raspy, his gaze lowered.

Liliana’s lips pressed into a thin line. The girl who had been lost in a daze suddenly seemed to have her soul back. Her eyes were once again vibrant as she shot him a cold glare. Her lips parted, and she uttered a single, emotionless word.

“Out.”

Linton froze.

Well, at least it was a familiar sting.

He took a deep breath, pushing down the ache and suffocation in his chest, and tried again, his voice patient and gentle. “Liliana, I...”

“I said, get out. Are you deaf?” Liliana’s voice grew agitated. Her beautiful eyes flashed with a renewed light as she spoke, her tone firm despite its softness. “Leave. Right now.”

“I don’t need you to comfort me. Disappear from my sight immediately. The farther, the better.”

“...Get out!”

Linton looked at her, his eyes filled with pain. The hand holding hers trembled slightly before he slowly let go, a bitter smile on his face.

Fine.

She could curse him, hit him, whatever she wanted.

As long as she came back to life, he was willing to be her punching bag. He would gladly take whatever she dished out.

Liliana glared at him, a scornful smirk playing on her lips. “What are you smiling at, you idiot?”

“What are you waiting for? Get lost.”

Her tone was sharp, almost cruel, as if she was deliberately choosing the words that would cut him the deepest, aiming straight for his heart.

At that moment, Linton forgot everything else. Terrified, he lunged forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.

The habit of comforting her, ingrained over twenty years, was etched into his very bones. So when Liliana told him to leave in anger, his reaction was almost a reflex—to pull her into his arms and hold her, letting her vent her anger and frustration however she needed.

Linton knew Liliana better than anyone. She always said the opposite of what she meant.

You couldn't just take her words at face value.

To do that would be to fall right into her trap.

Linton held her tightly, his heart aching. This time, he wouldn't let go, no matter what she said. Habit and instinct had taken over, sending a command to his body that bypassed his brain—

*Hold her.*

*Right now, this very second.*

*Hold her and don't let go.*